Ventilating and reflecting transom for passenger cars



F. W. WHYTE July 18, 1933.

VENTILATING AND REFLECTING TRANSOM FOR PASSENGER CARS INVENTOR ATTORNEYS July 18, 1933.

F. W. WHYTE VENTILATING AND REFLECTING TRANSOM FOR PASSENGER CARS Filed June 9, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR CMW w ATTORNEYS July 18, 1933. w. 1,918,790

VENTILATING AND REFLECTING TRANSOM FOR PASSENGER CARS Filed June 9, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORN EIY6 Patented July 18, 1933 PATENT OFFICE 1 FREDERIG M. WHYTE, F TARRY TOWN, NEW YORK VENTILATING AND nnrnno'rmo rnsnsom FOR PASSENGER cans- Application filed June 9,

Important objects of the present inven tion are, to provide means for improving the ventilation of a passenger car comprlsing transoms disposed transversely'of the car d1- rectly beneath the ceiling and in a certain relation to overhead ventilating apertures; to provide such transoms designed and dis posed for better distribution of the overhead artificial illumination in the car; to provide such transoms designed and disposed for supporting advertisements and effectively dis playing them; to provide satlsfactory mount ings for the transoms; and to provide for the support of the transoms by the transverse beams or carlines of the roof structure of the car. Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

In the drawings: j

Fig. 1 is a diagrammaticlongitudinal sectional view of a car-equipped with the ceiling transoms; j i

Fig. 2 an enlarged section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 a plan view of one of the transoms; Fig. 4 a partial side View of one of the transom frames with the sections thereof separated; I Fig. 5 an enlarged vertical section taken onthe line 5-5 ofFig. 2;

Fig. 6 an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 a side view of'a modified transom frame formed integrally with a carline; and

Fig. 8 an enlarged vertical section taken 35 on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

In the general schemeusually employed for ventilating passenger carrying cars reliance is placed upon the opening of end doors or sliding windows therein in the opening 40 of side windows, in adjustment of ventilators in the upper deck of cars having double deck roofs, and adjustment of special globe type ventilators placed directly in the roofof dome roof-ed cars. When the outside temperature is too low to jnstfy opening of side windows and end doors, reliance for general ventilationis placed upon ventilating devices located .in or near to the roof andno provision is made for directing downwardly into the body of the car the inflowing currents'of 1931. Serial m. 542,130.

fresh air, nor for breaking up the currents of vitiated outgoing air flowing lengthwise of the car near theroof.

Myimproved transoms for improving the ventilation and light distribution and for providing valuable advertising space are shown as mounted beneath a car roof of a double deck type wherein the central part of the roof is elevated or stepped above the J side portions of the roof. By slight changes in design, however, the transom may be adapted for mounting beneath a single deck or dome roof. The elevated central portion of the double deck roofincludes an outer metal covering 1, a lining 2 of heat insulation and a series of transverse supporting beams or carlines 3 supported by the hollow riser struc* tures 4 intervening between the upper and lower decks. The carlines are metal channels and the car ceiling 5 is secured to the under. sides thereof. They occur at numerous points equally spaced down the length of the car and, in the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, each has one of the transoms designated 6 attached to its under sideand' depending from the ceiling. Midway between each pair of adjacent transoms are ventilating apertures 7 In the present instance said apertures are formed in the risers 4t and, outside of thelatter, they are covered by the ventilator hoods 8. There is also a lan1p9 disposed midway between each pair of adjacent transoms and in the present instance the lamps are mounted in a row along the center of the ceiling. It will be 85 understood, however, that the ventilating apertures and lamps may be otherwise located between the transoms.

Each transom 6 com rises a hollow skeleton frame preferably 0 a light-weight metal such as aluminum. The under side of the frame is a flat, narrow, horizontal strip 10 of inverted T form in cross section and of uniform width. The upper side of the frame is a plate 11,which,in the preferred form, is much wider than the strip 10 and arched from the ends of the frame to the middle thereof to correspond with the arch of the car roof. Said plate, in the preferred form, m

is widest at its middle in plan and tapers to its ends. It is apertured for lightness and at spaced points therealong it has relieved seats 12 bearing against the car ceiling 5. Certain of these seats extend along thelongitudinal center line of the .plate and are apertured for fastening elements. Along its longitudinal edges the plate has depending flanges 13 which converge inward. The strips 10 and 12 are joined by vertical struts 14.- and by box-like ends 15, all integrally formed. Said struts occur one at the middle of the frame and the others midway between the middle and ends. Each comprises an apertured web 16 flanged at its front and rear edges to form arcuate upwardly diverg- 7 ing frame surfaces 17 extending from the edges of strip 10 to the'flanges 13. At the upper and lower ends of said surfaces 17 the struts are formed with relieved surface portions 18 which serve-to position panel sheets C placed therebetween against the frame. Said panels close the skeleton frame and form oblique surfaces extending crosswise of the car to bafile a flow of air along the ceiling of the car and also deflect light from the car lamps downward for better illumination of the car. The relieved surface portions 18 of the frame also form seats for strips 19 and 20, whichhold the panels in place and are fastened to the frameby screws 21. Said box-like ends 15a1so have arcuate faces diverging similarly to the strut surfaces 17 and formed with depressed inner margins 15. The panels seat against said margins and against the strut surfaces 17. At points intermediate the struts the strip 10 also has ears 22 forming additional inner supports for the panels and apertured to receive some of the screws. 21 holding the retaining strips in place. Said strips at points directly opposite the struts and the frame ends, are pressed outward, as 31323, to form recesses into which are snappedthe ends of spring strips 24 which are held bowed to press the panels against the opposite sides. of the frame in arcuate form.- In the present instance the panels are in the form of cards bearing advertisements.

. The peculiar form of the transom frame enables it to support the cards C in curved form without crinkling; Owing to the uniform Width of the lower portion of the frame and to thewidening of the upper portion of the-frame inplan to the proper degree-to compensate for the rise of its arch,- the cards at opposite sides of the frame are supported so that a horizontal section taken at any point in. their height will show them parallel. Each card lies in the surface of a true cylinder. The frame is symmetrical in crossisection about a vertical line and the card supporting surfaces diverge equally and at a rather low acute angle from said line. Thereby the cards are supported so as to face downward as well as longitudinally of. the

car. There may be a single card extending clear across the frame or there may be a plurality of cards disposed edge to edge. The frame ends and the card-retaining strips present the cards neatly framed.

Each transom is held in place at the car ceiling by screws 25 passed upward through the central seats 12, through the ceiling 5 and an interposed insulating strip 26, and screwed into the carline 3. At its ends the frame 6 is fastened to the risers 4 by screws 27'. Thereby the transom is detachably mounted.

As shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1, the transoms are so disposed with respect to the ventilators as to deflect the inflowing air downward into the interior of the car body and so as to serve as baflles for slowing the flow of vitiated air lengthwise of the car and cause it to exhaust more readily through the ventilators. The transoms are also so formed and disposed with respect to the lamps as to reflect the rays therefrom downward for more effective illumination. Furthermore they shield many of the lamps down the aisle from the View of the passengers and prevent a glare which is a strain upon the eyes and causes drowsiness. The rays are reflected and distributed by the inclined surfaces of the transoms in a manner to produce a better reading light. In addition to improving the ventilation and illumination the transoms afford a great amount of valuable advertising space, and the advertisements are so disposed as to effectively display a maximum number to the view of the passengers, as will be seen in Fig. 1. The sheets or cards bearing the advertisements are preferably of a character suitable for their light-reflecting purposes also. If it is desired to omit the advertisements other sheets, free of advertising matter and of a suitable light'dilfusing and reflecting character, may be substituted for the advertising cards.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs.

2 to 6 inclusive, each transom frame is made of sections joined together end to end and their length may vary according to the width of the car. This sectional frame is designed for installation in a car which is already constructed. In the present instance the frame 7 is formed of three sections, a middle one and two end ones. Each section may comprise a single casting. The middle section of the bottom strip 10 has extensions 28 which lap over the end sections and are secured by screws or other fastening elements. The three sections of the arched top plate 11 abut end 'to end and have depending side ears 29 adjacent their abutting ends and the cardretaining strips 19 arefastened thereto by screws or the like. i

' In Figs. 7 and 8 is shown a combined transom frame and carline for installation when the car is built. Here the carline 3 and the entire transom frame 6 are integrally formed and are preferably a single aluminum casting. The, carline corresponds" to the transom in width and the ceiling is interrupted to provide clearance for it. ,Along its opposite sides ;the carline has integral flanges 3,0 to which: the ceiling isysecured asiati i l.

T he illustrations show the transonr made as a frame the, open spaces of whicharetovbe filled intwith sheet panels or,shouldtheadvertising feature be used,'the spaces inl y be covered by-rthe advertising cards. rWhi-le the frame construction is prefer-reddhwill be apparent that 1 the w transom can be made of sheet material of any jzkind which is sufliciently stiff tofulfill the conditions. Thetwo faces of the transom; are shown .ascurvedsurfaces and while such :form is PI'Gf'BlIBlL'llS will beunderstood that these surfaces may be fiat surfaces when so desired.

-WhatiI claimis:

1. In a roofed passenger car having ventilating apertures and lamps at :or adjacent the ceiling and spaced alongthe car,; series of transoms depending-19m the-ceiling and. extending transversely of the caret points spaced there-along between the successive lamps and ventilating apertures and each having downwardly -converging, .opposite, longitudinal i side surfaces extending crosswise of the car ,and facing obliquely downward and longitudinally of the car in opposite directions.

2.:In a roofed passenger car having illuminati-ng means at spaced points therealong at or adjacent the: ceiling, a: transom extending. crosswise of the car. directly beneath; the ceiling at a point between said spaceddlluminatingmeans and having opposite, downwardly converging light diffusing and refleeting longitudinal side surfaces extending crosswise of the car :ancl ;lacing obliquely downward and longitudinally of'the ca-r in oppositedirections. 13. Inaroofed passenger car havingiventilat'ing apertures and lampswat or adjacent theceiling and spaced along theccari and transverse roof carlines located :at longitudinally ,spaced points I between said 'lamps and apertures, a plurality \of depending transoms attached at their upper edges ;to said carlines,supported thereby transversely of the car and dividing the car space beneath the ceiling :andibailling a flow of rairitherealong, said transomsi having surfaces oppositely directed longitudinally. of, thercarand disposed i'for; illumination bysaid lamps.

4.111141 roofed passenger carhavingilluminating means at spaced points therealong at or adjacent the ceiling and a transverse roof-supporting carline disposed between said illuminating means a transverse transom attached at its: upper edge to said-carrl-ine and s'upportedthereby to directly beneath the coiling and having opposite, longitudinal side surfaces ;convergingdownward, extending formed -:.w ith said ear-line and depending therefrom directly beneath the ceiling and sheets '''framed and ,remova-bly supported, by said frame at oppositesides-thereofinoppositely inclined, downwardly converging positions and'fiacing obliquely downwardand longitudinally oft-the car in opposite 1 direct-io-ns.

-6. 1A transom transversely mounted b6- neath theiarched ceiling ofapassenger car and havingoppositelyinclined longitudinal SHIEESLCGSwMiitS oppositesides oigreater depth at'the middle oi the transom than at the? ends, in accordance with; the ceiling arch, and parallel'to each other :at allhorizontal sections, said surfaces facing obliquely downward and longitudinally ;.of the.-car in opposite directions. v 1

g i 7. 5A -:trainsom 1transversely mounted "beneathkthe; arched ceiling of a passenger car and having loppositelyz curved, downwardly 7 converg ng longitudinal surfaces atits opposite :sides ofigreater depth at the middle of, the transom .than- :at i the ends in accorda-ncerwith the ceiling arch andparallelto each other at allhorizontalsections,=said:surfaces iiacingiobliquely downward and longi tudinally of=th e-.-car i inopposite directions.

l 8. A 1 transom 'g'transversely i mounted abeneat-hi the; arched, ceiling ofa passenger car and-having, oppositely inclined, downwardly converging longitudinal surfaces vat its-opposite. sides of greater 1 depth :at the ,middle of; the: transom; than at the ends, in accorda-nce with; the ceiling arch, and-parallelto each other attall horizontal sectiona -said surfaces facing obliquely downward and lon gitudinallyi ofi the -car: in, oppositeidirections and bearing (advertising signs. -9. A transom itransversely :mounted beneat-hthe :arched ceilingao'f a passenger car and com-prisinga"frame of, greater, depth at itsmiddle, than at its ends; in; accordance-with the arch of 1 the ceiling, of iuniform width along its lower edge, of greater width at the ends, of its upper edge. than said lower edge and increasing in width toward the middle: and'sheets supported by saidjframe at the opposite longitudinal sides of said frame: and curving upward and outward away from eachother to face obliquely downward and longitudinal-1y ofthecar i i-opposite directions, the frame supporting said sheets parallel ;to each: other at all" horizontal sections to-avoidcrinkling.

10. i-A trausom ori moun ng r v r ely beneath the arched ceiling of a passenger car and comprising a frame ofgreater depth at its middle than at its ends in accordance with the arch of the ceiling, of uniform width along its lower edge, of greater width than said lower edge at the ends of its upper edge and increasing in width toward the middle and having opposite longitudinal side faces curving upward and outward away from each other to face obliquely downward and longitudinally of the car in opposite directions, said faces beingparallel to'each other at all horizontal sections.

11. A transom transversely mounted beneath theceiling of a passenger car and comprising a frame having a substantially V- shaped outline in vertical cross section and formed of sections joined together end to end; face sheets, disposed oppositely, inclined against opposite longitudinal sides of the frame; and longitudinal strips secured to said opposite sides of the frame extending continuously along all of the frame sections and engaging the upper and lower mar- .gins of said sheets to hold them in place.

12. In a roofed passenger car, a transverse roof-supporting carline; a transverse transom comprising a frame carried by said car: line and depending therefrom directly beneath the ceiling; and sheets adaptedto bear advertising signs framed and supported by said transome frame at opposite sides thereof in oppositely inclined, downwardly-converging positions and facing obliquely clownward and longitudinally of the car.

13. A transom mounted transversely beneath the arched ceiling of a passenger car and comprising a frame of greater depth at its middle than at its ends in accordance with the archof the ceiling, of uniform width along its lower edge, of greater width than said lower edge at the ends of its upper edge and increasing in width toward the middle and having opposite, longitudinal side faces curving upward and outward away from each other, said faces being parallel to each other at all horizontal sections; sheets disposed against said curved faces and bearing advertising signs; longitudinal sheet-retaining strips secured to the frame and engaging the upper and lower margins of said sheets to detachably hold them in place; and resilient, vertical sheet-retaining strips detachably held by said. longitudinal strips and holding the sheets bowed inward against the curved faces of the frame to face obliquely down ward and longitudinally of the car in opposite directions.

14. In a roofed passenger car, a series of transoms extending crosswise of the car at spaced'points therealong directly beneath the ceiling, and each transom having oppositely inclined, downwardly converging light diffusing and reflecting surfaces extending crosswise of the car and directed obliquely downward and longitudinallyof the car, said transoms serving to break up air currents tending to flow along the ceiling of the car.

15. A transom mounted transversely beneath the ceiling of a passenger car and com prising an open skeleton frame having an approximately V-shaped outline in vertical. cross section; and face sheets closing the opposite longitudinal sides of the frame and secured to the frame in downwardly converging relation, said face sheets bearing advertising signs.

16. In a roofed passenger car, a transverse roof-supporting carline; a transverse transom carried by said carline and depending therefrom and comprising an open skeleton frame having an approximately ii-shaped outline in vertical crosssection; and face sheets closing the opposite longitudinal sides of said frame and secured thereto in downwardly converging relation.

17. In a roofed passenger car, a transverse metal roof-supporting carline of channel form; a hollow metal casting transom frame structure of skeleton form depending from the ceiling and attached at its upper edge to to said carline and supported thereby; and sheets removably supported by said transom frame and closing the sides thereof and fac ing longitudinally of the car.

18. In a roofed passenger car, a transverse metal roof-supporting carline of channel form; and an integral hollow metal transom frame of skeleton form extending along the lower edge ofthe' carline and depending therefrom, the carline and the transom frame being cast in one piece. I

19. In a roofed passenger car, a transverse metal roof-supporting carline of channel form; an integral hollow metal transom frame of skeleton form extending along the lower edge of the carline and depending therefrom, the carline and the transom frame being cast in one piece; and sheets removably supported on said transom frame and closing the sides of the skeleton frame and facing longitudinally of the car.

20. Ina roofed passenger car, a transverse roof-supporting carline; a transverse transom comprising a frame approximately V- shaped in cross-section formed integrally with said carline and depending therefrom; and sheets closing the opposite faces of said frame and supported thereby in downwardly converging relation for the purpose set forth.

21.'III a roofed passenger car having a transverse roof-supporting carline, a transom disposed transversely of the car, depending from the ceiling and attached at its upper edge to said carline and supported thereby, the opposite faces of said transom being closed and converging downward in vertical cross-section for the purpose set forth.

FREDERICK M. .WI-IYTE. 

